Liberty with a Vengeance
by Isis Aurora Tomoe
Summary: Hey, an update from yours truly. It's the first day of school, and Aubri and Liberty have made enemies, of the popular cheerleading type. But, one good note: They both have dates set for the weekend, if they live that long.
1. I'm Moving

Hey, y'all, I'm Isis, and this is my first Degrassi fanfic. Be gentle.  
  
Disclaimer: Anyone new is my property, and no one else's.  
  
Story Summary: Everyone celebrated when Liberty Van Zandt left Degrassi, and Canada especially JT Yorke. Liberty's gone to live with her aunt and uncle in Alexandria, Louisiana. Well, it's JT's tenth grade year, and Liberty's back, with her seventeen-year-old cousin in tow. Liberty's changed a lot since eighth grade, and now she's back with a vengeance, setting the sophomores upside down with her new attitude, style, and look. Her cousin is making waves with the juniors, with her blatant dislike for Paige, and her obvious flirtations with Jimmy.  
  
Chapter Summary: Liberty suddenly announces that she is leaving Degrassi. How does everyone take this sudden news?  
  
Liberty with a Vengeance  
  
Prologue-I'm Moving  
  
Liberty walked into Mr. Simpson's class and handed him a slip of paper, which he read in surprise. "Where are you transferring to, Liberty?"  
  
Emma looked up, surprised. She turned to Manny, her best friend. "Manny, did you hear that? Liberty's transferring to another school."  
  
"Good riddance." Manny said casually, turning to her computer. "I don't like her."  
  
"We should at least ask her if she really is leaving." Liberty walked to her seat. "Liberty, are you moving?"  
  
"Yes, I'm going to stay with my aunt and uncle in Alexandria, Louisiana. My parents want me to get a taste of a different culture." Liberty said, taking a book out of her bag.  
  
"How long are you going to be gone?"  
  
"Who's going to be gone?" JT asked, sliding into his seat.  
  
"I'm moving to the USA." Liberty said, averting her eyes from JT's direction. "I might stay there. I would like to spend some time with my aunt, and cousin, since I haven't seen them in years. I'm just not sure how long I'll stay."  
  
"Oh." JT fought to keep the pleasure out of his voice. "That's too bad Liberty." The bell rang, and everyone turned to their assignments. Mr. Simpson allowed them five minutes to talk at the end of class. "So you don't know how long you're going to be gone?"  
  
"Don't try so hard to sound upset, JT. I know you're pleased to hear I'm leaving." The bell rang, and Liberty almost ran out of class.  
  
Emma gave JT a look. "JT, you really did it this time," She said as she collected her books.  
  
"Did what? I didn't even do anything to her."  
  
"You know that your tone of voice gave it away."  
  
"Did not. I thought I did pretty good sounding sad."  
  
"That's just the point. I know you don't like Liberty that much, and frankly, I don't either, but you could at least show some tact!" Emma went into her next class, and JT went to his.  
  
Liberty turned in her transfer papers, and went home at the end of the school day. The house was empty, both her parents worked long hours, her dad as a lawyer, and her mom as a doctor. She grabbed an apple on her way to her room, where she proceeded to finish packing. It was almost seven by the time her father got home.  
  
"Liberty?"  
  
"Yes Daddy?"  
  
"Have you finished packing?"  
  
"Yes sir. The flight doesn't leave until tomorrow morning, at seven. Will you and Mom be there?"  
  
"Of course. How else do you plan on getting to the airport?" Her father, David Van Zandt, leaned on her doorframe.  
  
"I figured if you were too busy, I could catch a taxi or something of the sort."  
  
"Not my little girl. Just because your mother and I are always working doesn't mean we don't care."  
  
"I'm aware of that, Dad, really I am."  
  
"What do you say to dinner at the restaurant of your choice, just the two of us?"  
  
"Sounds great. Can we go to Luciana's?"  
  
"Italian sounds terrific. Let's go."  
  
Liberty smiled as she and her dad entered the restaurant. It was her favorite. She and her father spent some time getting to know each other over pasta and bread. She hadn't spent this much time with her father since her fifth birthday. It was around nine when they got back, and Tamera, Liberty's mother, was sitting in the living room with her feet propped up, and a cold cloth over her eyes. She looked up as Liberty and David entered the room. "Did you have fun, honey?"  
  
"Yes ma'am, it was fun."  
  
"Well, you had better shower and go to bed, because you'll have to wake up early tomorrow if you want to catch your flight." Tamera said, resettling the cloth over her eyes. Liberty did as ordered, and fell into bed. She was asleep almost immediately.  
  
"Liberty? Wake up." Tamera tapped on her daughter's door gently. "You don't want to miss your flight, do you?"  
  
"I'm up." Liberty dressed, and took one last look around her room before dragging her suitcase downstairs. She brushed her teeth and hair before putting her toothbrush, hairbrush, and comb into her suitcase. "I'm ready."  
  
"Let's go then." The Van Zandt family rode to the airport in silence. Liberty walked up to her gate.  
  
"This is it. My little baby is leaving me. Oh I forgot. You're thirteen. That makes you my teenager." Tamera said, smiling at Liberty.  
  
"We'll call and e-mail and all that." David assured, bending to kiss his daughter on the head and hugging her tightly. Tamera followed suit.  
  
"Bye Mom, Dad." Liberty walked into the terminal, and onto the airport. A steward showed her where to sit, and she pulled out a book. The flight wasn't as long as she anticipated, and before she knew it, she was in the Houston airport scanning the crowd for her aunt's face.  
  
"Liberty? Over here!" Liberty turned in the direction of the voice. An older girl, about fifteen years old, ran up to Liberty. "Hey! Don't you remember your own cousin?"  
  
"Aubrianna?" Liberty asked, staring at the tall pretty girl.  
  
"Yup! Mama, I found her!"  
  
A woman of medium height stepped out of the crowd and hugged Liberty tightly. "Hello Liberty, welcome to the USA."  
  
"Hi, Aunt Malise." Malise was the spitting image of her older sister, except her eyes were green, instead of hazel.  
  
"We are gonna have fun! I have to show you all the good places to shop, and the school's really nice." Aubrianna said, taking Liberty's carryon bag. When Aubrianna turned, Liberty got a chance to really look at her older cousin. She was pretty, black and Cajun, with dark caramel colored skin, and her mother's green eyes. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail, but it was dark red-black.  
  
"Where's Uncle James?" Liberty asked.  
  
"He's at work. He promised to take us shoppin' this weekend."  
  
"Sounds like fun." They retrieved Liberty's bags, and got into Malise's dark green truck. As they pulled away from the airport, Liberty made a mental resolution that things were going to be different here. No more Ms. Perfect.  
  
*******************************************************************  
  
Well, that's the super-short prologue. I'll put more up later. I hope y'all like the way this is going. No flames please, as they will be used to burn Paige beyond recognition. Next chapter: It's been two years since Liberty was in Canada. Degrassi won't be the same when she and her cousin start school. 


	2. Return to Degrassi

Hey, this is the first for real chapter, and it takes place two years after Liberty's move. I hope y'all like it.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own anything but Liberty's cousin and her family.  
  
Chapter Summary: It's been two years since Liberty Van Zandt was sent to Alexandria, Louisiana. Now she's coming back to Degrassi, with her cousin Aubrianna, and boy, is everyone in for a surprise. Liberty's changed, and JT's really noticed it. The question is: does she want him to notice?  
  
Chapter 1-Return to Degrassi  
  
Liberty Van Zandt-newly turned fifteen year old, rolled out of bed, and slapped at her alarm clock. It had been two years since she had last been in Canada, and she didn't regret leaving one bit.  
  
"Lib, you up?"  
  
"Yeah, Aubri. Just give me a minute to dress."  
  
"You straight. The flight doesn't leave till two. Nervous about seeing all those people again?" The seventeen-year-old came in and sat down on the edge of Liberty's bed.  
  
"Hell no! They should be nervous about seeing ME again. Things have changed. I'm not lil' Ms. Perfect, and if they can't handle my heat, they had just better stay out my way." Liberty angrily shoved her clothes into her suitcase.  
  
"Girl, don't even worry about it. All those people that talked about you, they don't know you. This is a whole new year, and if anyone wants to start something, we'll handle it." Aubrianna said, rubbing her cousin's shoulder. "I'm coming too, remember?"  
  
"Yeah, I know. It's just gonna be so hard seeing all the people that talked about me behind my back. I know I didn't help things, by being so damn evil and bitchy."  
  
"Things are different now. Don't even worry about all that junior high shit. You're in high school now, and all that doesn't even matter." Aubrianna stood up and walked to the door. "I gotta finish packing. Be ready by one."  
  
"Aight then." Liberty finished up her packing, and helped Aubrianna with hers. As the two packed in silence, Liberty reflected on how she'd changed. She was taller, and she had gotten what her aunt and cousin referred to as the 'Charles family hourglass'. She was pretty evenly proportioned, and her face had finally lost its baby fat. She started getting her eyebrows done, and her aunt let her get contacts. What she was most happy about was the fact that she had 'grown into' her lips and, she started wearing her hair in different styles. Right now, she had it in a braided ponytail, courtesy of Aubrianna.  
  
"Aubri, Lib, y'all ready, girls?" James, Aubrianna's Cajun father, poked his head into Aubrianna's room. "It's about time ta go."  
  
"Yes sir." Aubrianna handed her father a pair of suitcases, which he took downstairs to his wife's truck. After several more trips back and forth up the stairs, everything was loaded into the truck. Everyone piled in, and they left.  
  
"Now, don't forget to mind your aunt and uncle, and call us at least once a week. Don't forget your manners." Malise lectured. She hugged Liberty, then Aubrianna. "Call us when you get there."  
  
"I will, Mama, don't worry." Aubrianna hugged her mother tightly, and turned to her father.  
  
"Au revoir chérie."  
  
"Au revoir Daddy."  
  
"Liberty, it was a pleasure having you. You'll come see us again, I'm sure." James gave his niece a hug.  
  
"Of course, Uncle James. You still have to teach me to drive." Liberty reminded him.  
  
"Of course, Liberty, of course." Aubrianna and Liberty stepped into the terminal. The flight was boring and uneventful. To Liberty's surprise, both of her parents were waiting for her when she and Aubrianna got off the plane.  
  
"Liberty? Look at you! You look so much older!" Tamera said, wrapping her daughter in a tight hug.  
  
"Hi Mom." Liberty returned the hug whole-heartedly. "I really missed you."  
  
"I missed you too, sweetheart. Hello Aubrianna."  
  
"Hi Aunt Tamera." Aubrianna hugged her aunt. "Been a long time, hasn't it? Mama sends her love."  
  
"Too long."  
  
Liberty and her father were exchanging hugs and pleasantries. "Liberty, you are quite a beauty. The boys' will probably be knocking down the door not two days after you start school."  
  
"I doubt it Daddy."  
  
"Well, let's hurry home so you can get settled." Tamera said decisively. Aubrianna was shown to a room, where she gratefully dropped onto the bed and fell asleep, after calling her mother. Across the hall, Liberty did the same thing in her room.  
  
When Liberty woke the next afternoon, the house was quiet. Aubrianna was sitting in the kitchen, eating some grapes. "They already left for work. What are we gonna do today?"  
  
"We could go shopping, see a movie, or we could just walk around a little. It's up to you, really."  
  
"Yeah. Hey, maybe we'll see some cute guys or something. It's Sunday, right?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"You're really worried about going back to Degrassi, aren't you?"  
  
"Yeah, I guess. You can have the shower upstairs. I'll take my mom's shower."  
  
"Aight. What are you going to wear?"  
  
"Probably a pair of jeans and that shirt you made for me."  
  
"You mean the green one with the black shoestrings up the sides?"  
  
"Yeah. What about you?"  
  
"Probably my black jeans and that baby blue halter I bought."  
  
"Aight, then. Why don't we leave in an hour? I would say less, but I need to get this ponytail out my head, and do something with my hair."  
  
"Fine by me." The two girls separated, and met back in the kitchen in an hour.  
  
"Ready?"  
  
"Let's ride." The two girls took off, after scribbling a quick note to Liberty's parents, in case they came home early.  
  
"I didn't know Canada was this hot." Aubrianna complained, pulling her waist-length hair up in a ponytail.  
  
"Yeah, but it's better off than Louisiana."  
  
"I heard that. Y'all ain't got all that humidity we had. Where we headed?"  
  
"There's this ice cream shop down a little ways. Across from it is this clothing store, and a music store."  
  
"They have good...Uh, Liberty, there's a guy checking you out. Don't look yet; just kinda turn your head, like you're just taking a look around."  
  
Liberty turned. "Shit, that's JT!"  
  
"Ain't he the punk that dissed you?"  
  
"Yeah, but I was kinda obsessed with him."  
  
"That don't mean he gotta dis you. Look at him, checkin' you out like he never seen a woman before. I'mma go talk to him."  
  
"Aubri let me handle it. I learned from the best, remember?" Liberty smoothed down her hair, and began walking over to JT's side. As she got closer, the butterflies in her stomach turned into a tornado. He was so cute. Liberty forced down her feelings, and walked up to him. "Hey, what up? I saw you checkin' me out, and I wanted to see what the deal was."  
  
"Um...What's your name?"  
  
"I have a better question: what's your name?"  
  
"JT Yorke."  
  
"Hey, Aubri!" Aubrianna came walking over.  
  
"You call?"  
  
"This is JT Yorke. What ya think?"  
  
"You know white boys ain't my type, but if that's what you like, then do you."  
  
"I still didn't catch your name." JT interjected.  
  
"I still didn't give it. Why do you want my name so bad?"  
  
"I've never seen you before, and I was hoping to get your number."  
  
"Really? I don't go for white boys either, but I could make an exception. Name's Liberty. Liberty Van Zandt."  
  
"Shit! Liberty?"  
  
"It's been a while, hasn't it? Now who's dogging who?" Liberty spun on her heel and walked away. JT watched her walk, bewildered.  
  
"Ya know, JT, let me give you some advice on my cousin. She ain't gonna forgive you easily, and I know you want her. Better think of something fast, chérie." Aubrianna walked off after her. JT watched them go, mouth wide.  
  
"So this is the ice cream shop you were tellin' me bout? It's nice."  
  
"Before you can ask, they do serve root beer floats."  
  
Aubrianna stuck her tongue out. "Maybe I wanted a sundae."  
  
"But you don't, do you?"  
  
"That's beside the point."  
  
"What'll it be ladies?"  
  
"I'll have a root beer float."  
  
"A chocolate soda."  
  
As the guy at the counter was fixing up their orders, Aubrianna took a look around, and her gaze fell on three people, two guys and a girl, all close to her age. One of the guys was white, with spiky brown hair, and his obvious girlfriend was white as well, curvy, with long brown hair. The other guy was black, with short black hair, and he looked like he was the third wheel. Aubrianna's suspicions were confirmed when the first guy put his arm around the girl's shoulders. "Lib, I'm gonna holla at that one right there. D'ya know 'im?" Aubrianna asked, pointing at 'third-wheel man'.  
  
"That's Jimmy Brooks, and the couple he's with is Spinner Mason and Terri McGreggor." Liberty said. "They're gonna be juniors this year, if I'm right."  
  
"Cool. I'll be back." Aubrianna slid off the stool, and approached their table. "Hi."  
  
Terri looked up at Aubrianna and smiled warmly. "Hi."  
  
Aubrianna smiled back before turning her attention to Jimmy and rubbing her hands together. "Lemme see, how do I put this...I was checking you out, and it looked like you were kinda lonely. I figure, why not walk over, introduce myself, maybe get a couple digits?"  
  
Jimmy held out his hand. "Jimmy Brooks."  
  
"Aubrianna Armande. I just moved here from Louisiana." She smiled and shook the proffered hand.  
  
"You can sit down if you want." Terri offered. Aubrianna cast Liberty a look, and slid into the seat. "Are you Cajun?"  
  
"Half. No doubt y'all heard bout how Cajuns got them tempers, yeah?" Aubrianna slipped into her natural, French-accented tone.  
  
"I don't even know what Cajun is, man." Spinner said.  
  
"Allow me to enlighten you. Cajuns are descended from people who emigrated from Nova Scotia to Louisiana. Most of us speak French; have tempers and cook damn good food."  
  
"Say something in French." Spinner asked.  
  
"Aubri, your float's ready!" Liberty called. Aubrianna nodded, and turned to face Jimmy.  
  
"Êtes-vous pris?" She said, and walked off.  
  
Jimmy watched her walk back to her seat. "Damn, she is HOT."  
  
"So what are you sitting there for? Go get her number!" Spinner said, rolling his eyes. Jimmy threw his napkin at him, and got up.  
  
Aubrianna saw him coming out of the corner of her eye, and turned to face her cousin, acting like they were talking about something.  
  
"Hey, Aubrianna, you never told me what that meant."  
  
"Are you single?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"That's what I asked you. Can I have a straight answer?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm single. Can I have your number?"  
  
"I'm staying with my cousin Liberty Van Zandt." Aubrianna said, writing her number down on a napkin.  
  
"That name sounds familiar."  
  
"I used to go to Degrassi."  
  
The unstylish, uncute girl in Jimmy's mind faded as Liberty looked up at him. "Are you both coming to Degrassi?"  
  
"Yeah. We start Monday."  
  
"Well, if Liberty doesn't mind, could I show you around?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
"I'll call you tonight?"  
  
"Are you askin' me, or tellin' me?"  
  
"Telling you."  
  
"Fine by me." Aubrianna finished off her float. "Lib, ready?"  
  
"Yeah, let's roll."  
  
"Nice meetin' you, Jimmy." Aubrianna called over her shoulder. As soon as the ice cream store was out of sight, she squealed. "I am good!" She and Liberty turned the corner, and she promptly ran into a teenage girl, who was walking with a black girl.  
  
"Why don't you watch where you're going, dumbass?" The blonde snapped.  
  
"Why don't you watch it, bitch?" Aubrianna pushed the girl out of her way and continued walking.  
  
"Who do you think you're talking to?" The blonde said snappily.  
  
"I jus' tol' you, yeah? If I remember right, I said watch it bitch. You're the only bitch I see, so obviously I was talkin' to you." Aubrianna rolled her eyes and turned another corner.  
  
"I hope that bitch goes to Degrassi. I'll make her life hell if she does." The blonde muttered. "Come on Hazel."  
  
Aubrianna rolled her eyes. "I hope that bitch goes to Degrassi. I'll make her miserable if she does."  
  
"Um...Aubri? That was the most popular girl in school, Paige Michalchuk. You don't wanna mess with her."  
  
"Please. What's she gonna do, try to slap me and break a nail? If she tries to start something, I'll whoop 'er ass."  
  
"Okay..." Liberty said. "We've got just enough time to check out the clothing store." They entered the store, and began to browse through the racks. Aubrianna found a shirt, and Liberty found a pair of pants. They paid for the items and left the store, walking slowly.  
  
"Canada ain't all that bad, yeah?"  
  
"It really isn't, it's just that..."  
  
"You don't wanna see all those people who made fun of you, right?"  
  
"That's just it. I KNOW I didn't help things by being so bitchy. It's partly my fault people talked about me. That's why I tried to change so much between eighth grade and now. I knew I'd have to go back, and I wanted people to see that I wasn't the same Liberty anymore."  
  
"You wanted people to see, or JT to see? You saw how Paige and JT didn't recognize you, so it seems you might have gotten what you wanted."  
  
"A bit of both."  
  
"You don't have to change for a boy, cher. I thought that was one of the first things I taught you."  
  
"I changed as much for myself as for JT. I was so tired of everyone saying, 'ask Liberty, she knows' and the teachers always asking me to do this, and do that. I was a little teacher's pet, and I hated it! I needed a change."  
  
"Hmmm...well baby girl, you changed. Now we jus' gotta wait two more days till you can show off jus' how you change."  
  
"This is so nerve wracking. What if nobody remembers me?"  
  
"If you were as bitchy as you keep sayin', I think they'd have a hard time tryin' to forget, yeah?"  
  
"Yeah, you're right. How come you're barely two years older than me and yet you steady tell me all this stuff I don't know?"  
  
Aubrianna looked around furtively. "It's cuz...I watch Jenny Jones all the time! It's like a daily dose of wisdom."  
  
"Please. Everyone knows Maury is sooo much better than Jenny."  
  
"Well...you're right about that, but it only comes on at three AM. When was the last time I was up at three in the friggin' morning?"  
  
Liberty grinned; her cousin had a habit of sleeping late on weekends and during the summer. You had to practically blast music into her ears to wake her. "Probably never."  
  
"Exactly my point." Aubrianna said, as they turned onto the Van Zandts' street. "Now, as much as I like Maury, I'm not gettin' up at three in the morning just to watch it."  
  
"What if you can't sleep?"  
  
"I don't wanna try to sneak out of my room just to catch the show." Liberty unlocked the front door. Lying on the table was twenty bucks and a note.  
  
"Won't be home till late, order a pizza. Love Mom." Liberty took the money off the table and looked at it. "What do you like on your pizza?"  
  
"Pepperoni."  
  
Liberty called up the order, and she and Aubrianna both flopped on the couch. "Today was interesting, huh?"  
  
"Oh yeah. This is going to be a VERY interesting school year." Aubrianna smiled. "Maybe Jimmy'll be a big part of my Canadian experience."  
  
"Did you see the way he looked at you? Give him a little bit, and he'll be eating out of your hand."  
  
"What about JT? He was eyein' you like you were a plate of barbecued ribs. You won't even have to work to get him where you want him."  
  
"That's just it, Aubri; I don't know where I want him."  
  
"Why don't y'all jus' start over? Be friends, be friends with benefits. It's been two years, chérie; I doubt he's still the same. You should get to know 'im first, before you go jumpin' into anything."  
  
Liberty bit her lip. "Maybe."  
  
Aubrianna jumped off the sofa. "No more sittin' round, we gon pick out some outfits for school. Scratch that, I am going to pick out your outfits for school." Aubrianna grabbed her cousin's hand and pulled her upstairs. Between them, they picked out a whole week's worth of school clothes. The phone rang, and both girls jumped. Liberty picked up the phone, just as the doorbell rang. Aubrianna ran down the stairs.  
  
"Hello, Van Zandts' residence, Liberty speaking."  
  
"Liberty? This is Jimmy. Is Aubrianna around?"  
  
"Hold on a minute, I'll go get her." Liberty thundered downstairs with the phone in her hand, just as Aubrianna swung the front door shut, with the pizza box balanced precariously in her hand. "Aubri, Jimmy's on the phone."  
  
Aubrianna set the pizza box on the counter, and grabbed the phone. "Hello?"  
  
"Hi, Aubrianna?"  
  
"Call me Aubri. Sup?"  
  
"Nothing, just wanted to know if you and Liberty wanted a ride to school tomorrow."  
  
"That'd be great. I can't talk now, but I'll see you tomorrow?"  
  
"Sure, what's Liberty's address?" Aubrianna gave it to him, and hung up.  
  
"Well?"  
  
"He's giving us a ride to school Monday. Let's eat."  
  
***********************************  
  
So what's going to happen Monday? I'll put the next chapter up soon as I can. Hope you enjoyed it! Please, no flames.  
  
*Sneak Preview of Chapter 2  
  
It was then, seeing the look on JT's face, Liberty did something she had never done before. She raised her hand and pulled it back. JT winced. 


	3. First Day of School Insert cringe

Hey everyone, welcome to the second chapter of 'Liberty with a Vengeance'. Hope ya like it! Oh, EvilAngelFish, I did live in Louisiana at one time, for about two years, and I knew a family that was Cajun.  
  
Disclaimer: I own Aubrianna, and that's really about it.  
  
Chapter Summary: It's the first day of school for our two young heroines, and all is not well. Aubrianna's already made her first enemy, but luckily, that works against her enemy, and not her. Liberty tries not to lose her patience with ultra-sweet Emma, and oh-so-cool Manny. Both girls have dates in progress, which is the only thing keeping them from knocking a certain blonde cheerleader and her slutty-dressing sidekick cross-eyed.  
  
Chapter 2-First Day of School (Insert cringe)  
  
Liberty tickled her cousin's feet. "Wake up Aubri."  
  
Aubrianna rolled over and murmured something in French. Liberty jerked the covers off her cousin's head.  
  
"I'm just trying to help you out. Calling me a pig with hair wasn't very polite. Next time I'll just let Jimmy see you in your underwear."  
  
Aubrianna shot out of the bed and raced into the bathroom, calling a hasty apology to her cousin over her shoulder. She showered, while Liberty busied herself fixing some scrambled eggs. When Aubrianna emerged freshly scrubbed from the shower, Liberty gave her an approving glance.  
  
"You look cute."  
  
"Thank ya. Mama always said try your best, yeah?" Aubrianna said, indicating the short sleeved, low cut peasant top and jeans. She held up a pair of boots. "I refuse to put these on until absolutely necessary."  
  
"If they hurt your feet, what's the point of wearing them?"  
  
"They don't hurt my feet; I just don't like wearing shoes in the house."  
  
Liberty nodded. "Makes sense." Aubrianna looked her favorite (and only) cousin over.  
  
"I think we did good picking out your outfit." Aubrianna stated in regard to the black pinstriped pants and light green halter top. A black men's shirt went over it, with the tails tied in front. A pair of strappy sandals went with it.  
  
"I didn't do anything; you picked everything out. Are you sure I can wear your jade necklace tomorrow?"  
  
"It was made for you, chèrie. Green suits you. Brings out your eyes, yeah?"  
  
"I guess. Here, eat up." Liberty halved the eggs, and both girls applied themselves to steady eating until the food was gone. They brushed their teeth, and Aubrianna put her little cousin's hair up into an efficient, elegant braided bun. Liberty returned the favor by curling the ends of Aubrianna's messy bun. They were just putting the finishing touches on their hair when the doorbell rang. Liberty gave her cousin a few minutes to collect herself while she answered the door.  
  
"Hey Liberty. You look good."  
  
"Thanks Jimmy. Come on in; Aubri'll be down in a minute."  
  
"I'm right here." Aubrianna zipped up her black boots. Jimmy struggled to regain his composure.  
  
"You look nice."  
  
"Just nice?" Aubrianna asked. Jimmy gave her a hug, and while she was in his arms, he took the liberty of murmuring in her ear.  
  
"I didn't think saying you look so fine we should skip school and make out would be something to say in front of Liberty."  
  
Aubrianna laughed, and the trio took off.  
  
Aubrianna stared around at her surroundings in awe. "This school is huge! You could fit two of my old school into one Degrassi."  
  
"Yeah, well, I'll see you guys around," Liberty said. "I'm going to go ahead and get to homeroom." She winked at Aubri and took off.  
  
"I think she wanted us to have some alone time, yeah?"  
  
"Maybe. I'm not complaining."  
  
"I'm not either. Now, for homeroom, I'm in room 125. Where's that?"  
  
"It's my homeroom too. I'll show you where you're supposed to go during the day." Jimmy showed Aubrianna around, stopping to introduce her to a few people; Ashley Kerwin and her boyfriend Craig Manning, Hazel Aden, Ellie Nash and her best friend Marco Del Rossi, among many others. Aubri saw right off that Marco was gay, but she didn't say anything to anyone about it. When she got to homeroom, she took a seat in between Jimmy and Marco, and behind Hazel.  
  
Hazel turned. "Aren't you that one girl that got an attitude with Paige yesterday? I'm Hazel Aden."  
  
"Aren't you the girl that was with her? I'm Aubrianna Armande, Aubri for short."  
  
"Yeah. She was trying to convince me to stay friends with her. I'm not."  
  
"What happened, if I may ask?"  
  
"She used to be really nice, and we were best friends, but last year, she started taking me for granted, and talking about me behind my back. I only found out at the beginning of the year, and she's been trying to make up with me ever since. When you saw us, I was going to try being her friend again, and then she started with her whole 'I'm queen of the school, and you should be lucky I'm talking to you,' bit."  
  
"That sucks." The bell rang, and Jimmy led Aubrianna to her next class before tearing down the hall to avoid being late for his.  
  
Liberty had just walked into her math class, and noted that Emma, and a scantily clad Manny were in it, as well as JT. She walked to the back of the classroom and sat down with nary a look to anyone. She looked at Manny, who was dressed in a crop top and a pair of low-riding jeans, and scoffed softly. What kind of girl had to dress like THAT just to get attention? The bell rang, and the teacher, Mr. Jones, looked at Liberty's schedule and asked the girl to stand up at the front of the class.  
  
"Class, I'd like you to welcome Ms. Liberty Van Zandt. Liberty, why don't you tell the class about yourself? And when you're done, please take a seat behind the young woman with the blonde hair."  
  
Emma and Manny froze and slowly turned to look up at Liberty. JT took the opportunity to wink at Liberty, who rolled her eyes. "There's not much to say. I used to go to school here in eighth grade, but I moved to Louisiana, and now I'm back." Liberty walked to her new seat behind Emma.  
  
Emma turned around in her seats to look at Liberty, who was patiently taking notes on the teacher's lesson. She stopped, and looked up. "Yes?"  
  
"Liberty?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"You've.changed," Emma said.  
  
"Thank you. So has Manny."  
  
"Yeah, she's become the School Slut. Welcome back to Degrassi, Liberty." Emma said. She too turned around and began to take notes. Liberty began to take notes again. A folded piece of paper landed in her lap, and she opened it up.  
  
{Hey Liberty, I was wondering what you were doing this weekend.- JT}  
  
Liberty raised an eyebrow, and wrote him a reply. She tossed it into his lap.  
  
{JT, I'm not doing anything. Why?}  
  
JT smiled. He wrote an answer, and tossed it to her.  
  
{Wanna go see a movie?}  
  
She smiled slightly, and wrote a reply.  
  
{You ask me that now, but you couldn't ask me that in eighth grade?}  
  
JT winced, and looked over at Liberty, who was writing down the questions on the board.  
  
{Sorry about that, but you were kinda persistent.}  
  
Liberty nodded thoughtfully.  
  
{Okay, I guess we can go see a movie.} She scribbled her number on the bottom of the page, and gave the note back to him. The bell rang, and she slowly gathered up her things. JT walked over to her.  
  
"So.You were serious?"  
  
"Yeah. Why don't you call me tonight, and we'll talk about it." Liberty walked out of the classroom.  
  
Manny was walking down the hall, lost in thought. JT hadn't even given her a second look, and he was one of her biggest ooglers. Not that she liked him; she just liked the attention he gave to her. She giggled, remembering how he had run into a car the first time he saw her in her new style. Now, it seemed like he was paying more attention to Liberty of all people. So she'd changed a little bit, a geek is still a geek. Manny walked into her next class and sat down.  
  
Liberty had just walked into English, and noted that Toby and Sean were in that class with her. Toby looked at her with recognition, but the other paid her no mind. Ms. Kwan welcomed her back warmly, and sat her next to Toby. He gave her a long look out of the corner of his eye. The old Liberty would never have worn the things she did. He could see why JT was so stuck on her.  
  
Aubrianna was bored, and it showed. She had already taken down her hair, and was currently putting two braids in the front. Someone tapped her shoulder, and she turned.  
  
"Hi, Ashley?" She asked.  
  
"Yeah, and you're Aubrianna, right?"  
  
"Uh-huh."  
  
"So, if you don't mind my asking, what's up with you and Jimmy?"  
  
"I don't mind, and I don't know. I was hoping we could get to know each other a little better."  
  
"Well, I think he likes you."  
  
Aubrianna smiled. "Really?"  
  
"Oh, definitely." Aubrianna grinned again, and turned around to complete her work. The bell rang for lunch, and she and Ashley strolled toward the cafeteria. "Why don't you ask him out?"  
  
"I dunno, I might." Aubri looked out over the cafeteria. "Oh, no."  
  
Ashley looked over in the same direction as Aubrianna. "What, Paige? Just ignore her. She's an egoistic bitch."  
  
"I know, we've met." Hazel looked up from where she was eating with Spinner and Terri, and she waved. "Come on; let's go sit with Terri and them." The two girls made their way to the table, and sat down. Paige watched them, openly glaring in Aubrianna's direction. She turned back to Manny and the rest of the Spirit Squad.  
  
"It's bad enough that fat bitch Terri took my boyfriend, but now that Cajun cow is trying to steal my best friend! Who does she think she is?" Paige fumed, conveniently forgetting she and Hazel hadn't been friends since last year.  
  
"Yeah, and she's got Liberty acting the same way. Honestly, a geek is still a geek. Liberty will always be a geek, no questions about it," Manny said.  
  
"Um, Aubri, I think they're talking about you," Terri said quietly.  
  
Aubrianna looked over her shoulder, to see the Spirit Squad checking their table out intensely. "Ya, well, like ma pere used to say, chickens don't do nothing but squawk."  
  
"Your what?" Spinner asked. Craig swung into a seat next to Ashley, and kissed the tip of her nose.  
  
"My daddy," Aubrianna said. She rolled her eyes good-humoredly. "Honestly, chèrie, you live in Canada. I thought you'd know jus' a lil more French than that."  
  
Spinner shrugged. "Never tried to learn."  
  
"What, Paige and the Spirit Squad from hell giving you a hard time, Aubri?" Craig asked. Aubri liked the curly headed boy immensely, and she gave him a warm smile.  
  
"Hardly. They're just squawking as chickens are apt to do," Aubrianna said, sipping her soda. "Y'all would think they ain't got a thing to do besides stare at this table."  
  
"I used to eat lunch with them, and trust me, they don't," Hazel said, munching on a chip. A guy waved to her, and she smiled and waved back. All the girls turned to give the mysterious guy looks, and then turned back around to pierce Hazel with curious stares.  
  
"So, Hazel, who was the hottie?" Terri asked. Hazel's 'hottie' looked like a senior, tall, dark and handsome, with deep green eyes, and light brown skin.  
  
"Nobody, just a guy that I have a class with." Hazel took a long sip of her drink, to forestall conversation.  
  
"If you don't give us the full details, I'll wave him over here," Aubri threatened. Hazel choked, and the whole table dissolved into laughter.  
  
"Fine, I'll talk! His name's Jerome; he's in my computer class. We sit next to each other, and we talk sometimes. That's all, I swear!"  
  
"You mean you don't have a crush on him or anything? As fine as he is?" Aubrianna asked in disbelief.  
  
"Could we change the subject? Some of us don't wanna hear it," Spinner said. Aubrianna stuck her tongue out at him, and turned back to Hazel.  
  
"Talk, woman!"  
  
"Of course I have a crush on him; he's gorgeous!"  
  
"Hear, hear." Ashley said, raising her soda. Craig made a sad puppy face.  
  
"What about me?"  
  
"Sorry." Ashley said, laughing. She kissed him in apology. The bell rang, and everyone separated. Terri and Aubrianna walked down the hall on their way to English. Jimmy fell into step beside them.  
  
"What's up?"  
  
"I'm on my way to English. Aren't you in that class with me?" Jimmy slipped his arm around her waist and nodded.  
  
"You don't mind, do you?"  
  
Aubrianna shook her head. They walked into the English classroom, and prepared to be bored.  
  
Liberty was just walking into the cafeteria. She looked around, and spotted Emma, Toby and JT. JT looked up and waved to her. She walked over to their table and swung into a seat between Toby and JT. "Hey y'all. Emma, can I ask you a question?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
"What's up with Manny's new style?"  
  
Emma rolled her eyes. "She wants to be hot, not cute. So of course she starts dressing like a slut, and trying to screw anything male."  
  
Liberty pursed her lips. "Sounds like a hoe to me."  
  
Toby raised his eyebrow. "I thought she was your friend?"  
  
"Correction: was my friend. As far as I'm concerned, any girl that has to show stuff that needs to be left covered has nothing to say to me."  
  
"Your outfit is awesome, Liberty. Manny should take notes," Emma said, rolling her eyes.  
  
"Thanks. My cousin picked it out."  
  
"Does she go to school here?" Emma asked.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Hey Tobes, her cousin is a total babe," JT said.  
  
Toby raised an eyebrow in interest. Liberty smirked. "Sorry boys, but she's got her eyes on Jimmy Brooks."  
  
"Why would she even think about Jimmy when I'm sitting right in front of her?"  
  
Liberty ran a finger down the side of JT's neck. "Probably because she knows I've got my eyes on you."  
  
Toby and Emma took one look at each other and walked off. JT stared at Liberty in disbelief. When he spoke, his voice squeaked. "Really?"  
  
Liberty laughed. "I must, or else I wouldn't have agreed to go to the movies with you."  
  
"But, when I saw you yesterday, you acted like you hated me."  
  
"I don't hate you; I just wanted to give you a taste of how I used to feel. Not pleasant, was it?"  
  
"Not really. You're different, Liberty."  
  
She leaned towards him, resting her elbow on the table. "How so?"  
  
"You look a lot better than you did two years ago."  
  
"Thanks. It's nice to know I'm appreciated for my intelligence."  
  
"I do appreciate your intelligence."  
  
Liberty rolled her eyes. "I'm sure."  
  
"No, seriously. Even back in junior high, I admired you for being smart. I just didn't like the way you always stuck to the rules, and had that holier-than-thou attitude."  
  
"You still don't know me. What if I'm still like that?"  
  
"The old Liberty would never pass notes in math class, would she?"  
  
Liberty sipped her soda thoughtfully. "I guess not."  
  
"Exactly. That's how I know you changed."  
  
Liberty nodded. "Maybe, maybe not. Are you going to call me tonight?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
Liberty stood. "Then I'll see you later." She walked off. The bell rang, and Toby, Emma and JT walked to their next class together.  
  
"She's changed a lot," Emma said.  
  
"That's the understatement of the year," Toby said dryly. JT could only nod agreement.  
  
Contrary to what Aubrianna had first thought; Mrs. Kwan's class wasn't that boring. They were covering Black authors, and were currently discussing one of Aubrianna's favorites, Langston Hughes.  
  
"Jimmy, what's your opinion on Mr. Hughes's poetry?" Mrs. Kwan asked.  
  
"It's cool."  
  
"That's all? What about you, Aubrianna?"  
  
Aubrianna stole a look at Jimmy before speaking. "I agree with Jimmy, but I want to add that Hughes had poetry that flowed. It was easy on the ears, and written with a velvet tone. It was smooth, and sort of silky."  
  
"Interesting way to put it. Anyone else?" The bell rang. "I'd like each of you to bring in something on the poet himself tomorrow. We'll discuss it in class."  
  
"Smooth and silky, huh?" Jimmy said. His arm slipped around her waist and squeezed it gently.  
  
Aubrianna gave him a look. "I like his poetry. And since when did my body become your personal property?"  
  
"It's not.yet."  
  
"What do you mean, yet?" Aubrianna stopped and leaned against the wall, giving Jimmy a challenging look.  
  
He lowered his face to hers until they were barely an inch apart and whispered, "I get what I want."  
  
Aubrianna met his eyes levelly. "Then you've never had a girl like me."  
  
Jimmy smirked, and backed away from the pretty Cajun. "That's why I'm so set on you."  
  
Aubrianna smiled. "I already love it here." She headed for her next class with a bounce in her step and a smile on her face. The rest of the day passed with no major events for either Liberty or Aubrianna, and they met up in front of the school building.  
  
"We could walk home."  
  
"Not in those shoes you can't," Aubrianna said, pointing to her cousin's cute, impractical choice of shoes.  
  
"I'll give you guys a ride."  
  
Aubrianna turned and smiled. "Thanks Ashley."  
  
"So, how was your first day back, Liberty?"  
  
"Uneventful. I got a lot of weird looks. It's almost like people didn't expect me to change at all."  
  
"Are you glad that you did?"  
  
Liberty grinned. "Very. It was priceless to see the looks on Emma, Manny, Toby and JT's faces."  
  
"Are you going to be joining any clubs, now that you're back?"  
  
"I don't know. I kinda want to read the announcements again. Do you still read them?"  
  
"Yeah. I'd be happy to alternate days with you; we just have to talk to Raditch about it. Do I turn left or right here?"  
  
"Right. That'd be cool. Aubri, is there anything you want to do?" Liberty asked.  
  
"Not really. I'm not big on school activities."  
  
"Really?" Ashley asked.  
  
"This girl had half a mind not to go to prom this year. I practically had to beat it into her."  
  
"Yeah right, Libby."  
  
Liberty stuck her tongue out at Aubrianna. "Don't call me that."  
  
"Sorry," Aubrianna said, rolling her eyes.  
  
"You've definitely got to go to prom. It's in the spring, and it's going to be so much fun."  
  
"Ashley, our house is the third down the street on the left."  
  
Ashley pulled in front of Liberty's house. "Hey, see you guys tomorrow. Do you need a ride?"  
  
Liberty shook her head. "Nah, we'll catch the bus." The two girls went inside, after waving to Ashley. Aubrianna picked up a note on the table.  
  
"Dad and I are working late, order or fix whatever you want."  
  
Liberty sighed, and began taking down her hair. "They're doing it again."  
  
Aubrianna moved into the kitchen, and began searching through the cabinets. "Did they do this a lot?"  
  
"Yeah. It's not going to be so bad with you around, because at least I have someone to talk to."  
  
Aubrianna kissed the top of her cousin's head softly. "This must really suck. You just get back, after not seeing your parents for two years, and you still haven't seen them for more than twenty minutes in two days."  
  
Liberty shrugged, and got out some lunchmeat. "You learn to deal after a while."  
  
Aubrianna turned to the breadbox on the counter. "If you say so." The two girls fixed themselves sandwiches and planted themselves in front of the big screen TV to watch cartoons. At around five, the phone rang, and Aubrianna answered it. "Bonjour."  
  
"Um.Is Liberty there?"  
  
"Sure, hold on, JT." Aubrianna passed the phone to her younger cousin.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Liberty?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"This is JT."  
  
Liberty looked at her cousin. Aubrianna mouthed the words, 'cool, calm, collected', to her before leaving. "I know."  
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
"Nothing much. You?"  
  
"Talking to you. So, what movie do you want to see?"  
  
"You Got Served."  
  
"What?"  
  
"You Got Served. It's that movie with B2k in it. I want to go see it."  
  
"Who's B2k?"  
  
"An R&B/hip-hop boy band."  
  
"And you expect me to sit through it?"  
  
Liberty grinned. "You will if you want a serious chance with me."  
  
"Damn, got me. So, what time's good for you?"  
  
"Seven, eight-ish is fine."  
  
"Saturday?"  
  
"That's fine by me."  
  
"So, I'll see you in school tomorrow?"  
  
"I guess."  
  
"Okay, bye Liberty."  
  
"Good-bye, JT." Liberty hung up the phone. "Aubri, you can stop listening at the door, dear."  
  
Aubrianna walked in and plopped down on the couch. "Well?"  
  
A huge, excited grin spread across Liberty's face. "I've got my first date!"  
  
Aubrianna smiled. "That's so exciting. So, what are you going to wear, how are you going to do your hair and makeup and jewelry?"  
  
Liberty's eyes grew wide. "I don't know!"  
  
"Well, that's what I'm here for. To the closet!" Aubrianna dragged Liberty up to her room.  
  
At his house, JT was lying back on his bed, staring at the ceiling. Toby was lounging in a chair nearby. "Man, is she hot."  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Liberty."  
  
Toby snorted. "You weren't saying that in eighth grade."  
  
"Hey, people change. Even you can't deny she's prettier than she was then."  
  
Toby held up his hands. "Course not."  
  
JT grinned, but his smug expression was quickly replaced by one of panic. "What am I supposed to wear? And do you think she'll want a bear or something?"  
  
Toby rolled his eyes. "How the hell am I supposed to know? Ask Aubrianna."  
  
JT nodded. "Yeah, good idea."  
  
******************************************************************* ****  
  
Well, fifteen pages, pretty good, huh? I hope you guys liked it! No flames please! Sorry the aforementioned slap wasn't in this chapter. I decided to cut it out. 


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